10 Ways to Bring Wellness into your Workplace.

And we are back with a second guest post from Teddi! Her first post (about creating a gym routine you’ll actually want to stick with) was one of my favorite guest posts so far (so many helpful, actionable ideas!) but I may like this one even better as it’s something we can all (yes, even bloggers who work from home!) benefit from!!! Thanks for sharing, Teddi!

Hey there, Winter Wellness Challenge Warriors! My name is Teddi and I’m a personal trainer, health coach, weight loss specialist and blogger over at TEDDI, SET, GO! I’ve been an avid reader of Grace’s for over five years now and I’m so honored and thrilled to be back here sharing with you all today. (Read my post about how to create and stick to a new fitness routine in 2018 here!)

One thing Grace and I chatted about recently is how tough it can be to stay healthy when you’re working crazy hours. I touched on this a bit in my first post, but today I wanted to chat about how you can use your workspace to enhance your wellness practice. With these clever hacks, the right mindset (and a few good products) you’ll find that your work life and your wellness life can co-exist beautifully.

1. Dedicate five minutes a day to improving your hip mobility. If you take away just one tip from this post, please let it be this one! Especially if you’re someone who is prone to sitting a large part of the day. I’ve helped many clients find and regain their hip mobility that had been temporarily lost due to years of being chained to their desk chair! You can undo the damage by working on your hip hinge with a wall or the edge of your desk. You’ll be shocked how improving your this one movement will carry out into other areas in your life. (For starters, your spinning classes will start to feel a lot better!)

2. Speaking of five minutes, aim to add five extra minutes to your day. Maybe this means setting your alarm five minutes earlier and/or getting to the office five minutes earlier, taking five minutes less at lunch time or figuring out a way to leave five minutes sooner than you normally would. However you can work it, create and carve that time into your day for just you. Use the extra five minutes for a meditating app, a quick walk around the block, or something else that makes you feel good and refreshed.

3. Sign up for an email list that gives you something to look forward to when you open your inbox each morning.The Skimm is a great way to get the news, or you can learn a new word every day from Wordsmith. Just adding this seemingly small thing to your morning routine can provide a much-needed mind shift!

4. Kick off your morning with a straw tumbler of water that you can refill throughout the day. This is a tip I love to give my clients who fall short of getting their recommended daily water intake. For some reason it’s easier to drink more water out of a straw – no bottle cap or top to fuss with! I love this budget-friendly version, or this insulated tumbler if you’re looking for something temperature-controlled.

6. Bring a little bit of stress relief to your desk setup. Unless you work at home, chances are you can’t keep your favorite candle close by. Still, there are other ways to unwind a bit and stay cozy at work. This Peace Of Mind spot treatment works wonders on a tense neck. If you’re experiencing back pain from sitting all the time, invest in a support cushion or cover for your chair. (And make sure you’re implementing those hip hinges!) If your office gets chilly, keep a small space heater and/or a throw blanket nearby. Repeat after me: work DOES NOT have to be a place where you’re uncomfortable!

7. Assemble an “In Case Of Emergency” kit. Pack it with pain meds, Vitamin C tablets, tea sachets and extra vitamins (for the mornings you forget to take yours at home).

8. Pack an extra gym bag to keep in your car or cubicle so you never have an excuse to skip the gym post-work. Toss a tank, leggings (they’re more versatile than shorts), sports bra, socks and old/extra sneakers into a tote and keep it nearby so you’ll never again be tempted to use the, “sorry, I forgot my kicks at home” line.

9. If you’re lucky enough to have an office with a door – or work for a forward-thinking company in terms of wellness – keep a thick foam mat inside of your workspace. It’s perfect for a few midday stretches – or a 20-minute power nap!

10. Before you wrap things up, do one kind thing for your future self. Whether it means sending one last email (even though you’re DYING to just get out of there already), getting a jump-start on a big project or filling your tumbler with water and sticking it in the fridge, do something today that you’ll pat yourself on the back for tomorrow. Pay it forward and go the extra mile – it’s never crowded! 😉

Thought I would pass this along and I actually did this for 3 weeks back in December, but I started up again today: it’s 100 push-ups everyday for 30 days, in the office. A guy I used to work with told me about this challenge and it makes you really strong. I started with girl push-ups and broke it up into 4 sets throughout the day of 25 each, but by the end (Christmas got in the way of week 4 and I basically did nothing all week) I was doing 60 of the 100 as guy push ups. Now, naturally everyone made fun of me the first two days as i dropped to the floor every hour or two, but then a funny thing happened. They all joined me! Interesting how that happens 😉 Granted, I work in a small office these days so I could get away with it a little easier, but it really does make you feel so much better if you get moving at regular intervals. And if I can get some toned arms out of it…win win!

I found a work-around to the candle idea: scented hand lotion (or sanitizer). Once or twice a day I’ll spin my office chair away from the computer and spend a few minutes rubbing in the lotion and resting my eyes. Plus, most lotion fragrances aren’t strong enough to upset sensitive people around you!

I beg to differ, most lotions from Bath and Body Works I can smell across the house and I don’t live in a small house. And don’t take it personally if somebody complains about the smell bothering them. Try different smells or try getting an unscented lotion and adding just a few drops of essential oils to them instead of something overpowering from Bath and Body Works.

These are all great tips! It is so easy to lose sight of your personal wellness when you’re stressed and over worked. I keep the Peace of Mind treatment on my desk along with an Origins Hug. I don’t see it online but it’s a buckwheat filled pillow that you microwave and place on your shoulders. It’s a miracle to ease shoulder tension.

A few months ago I started a weekly yoga session with two colleagues. We would book a meeting room, roll out our mat/towel/picnic blanket and put on a +/- 25 min video. Nothing too intense, just to get the blood flowing and do some stretches. By now other colleagues have joined in, even from different departments! Even though it’s not a proper workout it feels so much better than sitting behing a desk for 8 hours straight, and perhaps a little surprisingly my boss actually approves of it (kind of sees is at as a weekly teambuilding)

Also I can totally confirm the straw drinking theory, I double or triple my water intake if I keep a glass/bottle with a straw nearby…

Love these! My office just got some new swag in, which includes large 27oz tumblers. We each got one to drink water out of at work. My coworkers and I all had various bottles, etc. before, but now that we all have the same one we hold each other accountable. Usually, it involves telling each other which one we are on by tapping the bottle and saying a number. Most of us drink 3 a day now (which is SO MUCH water). Thanks for the challenge and extra tips!